Ruby on Rails

An increasing demand for Ruby on Rails skills is making it more difficult for Boston-area technology employers to hire Web developers and engineers. Exacerbating the situation is a concerted effort by many companies to keep current employees onboard. “I think what’s happened is there are a lot of people who are turning to (Ruby on Rails) as new developers trying to learn it, but as far as the folks who are more seasoned, they’re not even getting to the point… continue…

Since its launch in December 2005, Ruby on Rails has become the Web application framework of choice for a wide variety of consumer-facing companies. According to one estimate, over 600,000 websites are now running on Ruby on Rails, threatening Java’s dominance. That’s all good news for RoR developers. Growth Generated Across Sectors “From a macro perspective, Ruby continues to be in really strong demand,” says Doug Schade, principal consultant at WinterWyman Technology Search in Boston. “Last year we did a… continue…

The Microsoft-backed F# functional programming language is quickly gaining popularity, according to the Tiobe Programming Community Index. Ranked No. 69 on the index a year ago, F# has soared to the No. 12 spot this month and is headed for the top 10. Microsoft calls F# “simple and pragmatic” and says it has “particular strengths in data-oriented programming, parallel I/O programming, parallel CPU programming, scripting, and algorithmic development.” Functional-first programming languages are particularly suited to analytical work such as calculation… continue…

Learning Ruby on Rails online isn’t ideal. Pair programming is considered a best practice. However, if those resources aren’t available or if you’re looking for something to supplement that kind of effort, check out some of the resources below, presented in no particular order. RailsBridge Installfest: Before getting started with Rails, you need to actually get it running. This working tutorial is field-tested and filled with details that other guides leave out. The Official Ruby on Rails Guides: “I frequently… continue…

It’s the problem everyone wants to have — the need for scalability due to an influx of users and clients compared with what you expected when you launched your application or website. LessAccounting’s Steven Bristol is familiar with the problem. As the business bookkeeping system for entrepreneurs increased in popularity, the company worked to increase its servers’ ability to process an increasing number of requests. Although Bristol believes that scaling in Ruby on Rails is similar to other frameworks, Andrew… continue…

We’ve been exploring the tale of the startup and the engineer, and how their fates became entwined. First, we looked at the hiring wish list — the job description — drawn up by the managers of WidgetCo, a company focused on Ruby on Rails. Next, WidgetCo met an engineer, and although they weren’t perfect for each other, they all took the plunge: WidgetCo hired a “trainable” Java engineer with a lot of skills with some differing technologies. WidgetCo knew they’d… continue…

Earlier this week, I explored the frustrating process a startup, WidgetCo, went through as it searched for an engineer who could work on its Ruby on Rails platform. After tepid results, the company’s leaders switched gears to look for a skilled engineer who could be trained in the necessary technologies. Here’s what happened once they relaunched their search. Finding a ‘Trainable’ Engineer Once it removed the “Ruby on Rails” filter from its job requirements, WidgetCo quickly discovered that its network… continue…

Once upon a time — OK, in 2012 — there was a startup and an engineer. They were both in the market, seeking their match. The startup needed a solid engineer for its Ruby on Rails application, and the engineer was a Java guy looking for his next great platform to build. Clear-headed observers would never have guessed that this mismatched pair would find themselves together, but they defied the odds and everyone’s better for it. This is their tale.… continue…

Why is the application slow? Is it the crappy network or is it the crappy code? Do you blame the IT guy or the developer? If you’re looking at both, you won’t have to blame anyone. You’ll be able to find the problem and fix it, quickly. Such is the hopeful promise of New Relic, an Application Performance Management Software as a Service solution designed to help you find bottlenecks and run efficiently. In the above video, Michael Redman, Solution… continue…

HP Cloud Services wants to talk to people who are passionate about the public cloud and OpenStack. The HP unit is building its offering on top of OpenStack, and is looking for all types of technical talent like Ruby on Rails developers, architects, QA leads and DevOps specialists. In total it has 125 job openings, mostly in Seattle, Austin and Silicon Valley, plus some positions in Colorado, Atlanta and the UK, says Jim Ashe, a Senior Sales Executive for HP… continue…